One major aspect was optimum utilisation and rostering of pilots.According to the data shared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to the Parliament in December, IndiGo employed 5,085 pilots. Akasa Air, a new entrant, on the other hand, currently has 466 pilots with a fleet of 31 aircraft, entailing about 15 pilots per aircraft, more than the country's largest airline. He was answering a media question at the India Aviation Summit 2025 held in October.“The decision was not difficult because we had confidence in Boeing. The move came after the government instituted a high-level inquiry as the largest airline in the country encountered massive disruption across its network. But in hindsight, Dube’s decision to keep a good pilot-to-aircraft ratio for Akasa Air has weathered criticism, whereas IndiGo, with its approach as a ‘lean machine’, has encountered turbulence.

Source: Economic Times January 11, 2026 00:13 UTC